#alice lee

The Maui County Council will meet July 8 at 9 a.m. to consider zoning legislation on agricultural tourism, parking requirements for electric vehicles, food trucks in the agricultural district, the size of accessory dwellings and the definition of various land-use terms.

In a marathon session that stretched from Friday morning to past midnight Saturday, the Maui County Council narrowly approved amendments to the controversial Honuaʻula project in a 5-4 vote at 12:26 a.m. Saturday. The decision followed several hours of passionate public testimony with most of the approximately 50 speakers opposed to the development. The Council’s […]

The long-debated Honuaʻula master-planned community project is returning to the Maui County Council’s agenda for its regular meeting on Friday. The “hot button” issue has been whether to approve the developer’s request to remove a requirement to build 450 affordable units in the South Maui project district development. Council Member Keani Rawlins Fernandez is proposing […]

A novel approach to Maui’s severe housing crisis emerged during a third round of emotional public testimony Monday on the hotly debated vacation rental phase-out bill: leveraging short-term rental profits to finance affordable housing for local families. Jonavan Asato, senior pastor at Grace Bible Church in Kahului, proposed this alternative while testifying on Bill 9 […]

Overflow crowds turned out Monday to support or attack the hotly debated vacation rental phase-out bill, but the action started early, on the sidewalk outside the Kalana O Maui Building in Wailuku. Wearing red Lahaina Strong and yellow ILWU shirts, supporters of Bill 9 formed a circle and prayed. Their signs read “Maui People First,” […]

Almost two years after the disastrous August 2023 wildfires brought to light shortcomings in Maui County’s emergency response, the Maui Emergency Management Agency has completed a comprehensive Strategic Plan and an Integrated Preparedness Plan aimed at reshaping the county’s approach to disasters. While the plans presented by agency Administrator Amos Lonokailua-Hewett were met Wednesday with […]

The Maui County Council gave initial approval to its version of the fiscal 2026 budget Friday, retaining full $12 million funding for Maui United Way’s Countywide ALICE Initiative: Kamaʻāina Credit program.

The $1.56 billion budget, which is $55 million more than Mayor Richard Bissen’s, is up for first reading today.

Maui County taxpayers spent $240,000 for a “homeless strategic plan,” but that’s not what they got. On Monday, officials told Maui County Council members that the county’s all-hands-on-deck response to the devastating August 2023 wildfires made creating that plan “infeasible,” leading instead to a “community-informed report” titled “Recommendations to Address Homelessness in Maui County.” Now, […]

Molokaʻi residents could be the first to benefit from a county-funded, voluntary deed restriction program, a measure that cleared its first hurdle before the Maui County Council on Friday.

In 2023, the Maui County Council put aside $2.75 million to help families build ʻohana units, but problems with the program have stalled the awarding of grants.

A little more than two weeks after Council Chair Alice Lee signaled the potential for “deep cuts” to Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed $1.512 billion fiscal 2026 budget, the Maui County Council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee has reversed course, recommending an increase of approximately $55.4 million – nearly 3.7% more than the mayor’s proposal. […]

House and Senate conference committees are recommending final passage of House Bill 1001, which provides more than $800 million in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for deposit into the Maui wildfires settlement fund for a “timely and compassionate resolution” for fire survivors. The bill commits the state to spending $400 million in fiscal 2026 and […]

Budget cuts are being considered by Maui County Council for Mayor Richard Bissen’s proposed $1.512 billion spending plan for the County’s fiscal 2026 budget, but it’s not immediately clear whether they’ll be with an axe or pruning shears. Council Chair Alice Lee said “deep cuts” might be in order, at least in her opinion, because, […]

The Maui County Salary Commission has given hefty pay raises to elected and appointed executive and legislative branch public officials, based on a “classification and compensation report” carried out by government consultant MGT. In a letter to County Council members, acting Salary Commission Chair Grant Nakama reported that the commission voted in favor of the […]

Some property owners are seeing increases by as much as 50%, and even with a tax rate cut, they may still see a higher bill.

By a 5-2 vote, the Maui Planning Commission is recommending approval of proposed amendments to project district zoning conditions attached to development of the controversial Honuaʻula master-planned community in South Maui. After a meeting recess on March 11, the commission passed a main motion on March 25 to approve all amendments proposed by the Maui […]

More than 270 supporters and staff of Maui Economic Opportunity, including state House Speaker Nadine Nakamura, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and Mayor Richard Bissen, helped the nonprofit celebrate 60 years of Helping People, Changing Lives, and retired Hale Mahaolu Executive Director Grant Chun at a fundraising Gala on March 22 at the King Kamehameha Golf […]

Council members say they’ll be combing the budget for savings in case the county is impacted by cuts to federal programs or agencies helping with the Lahaina wildfire recovery.

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) met with the Maui County Council and Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green to discuss federal funding for Lahaina recovery and disaster relief programs.